Cleopatra's Beginning
CLEOPATRA VII A Macedonian Queen as the last pharaoh of Egypt, she was a strong-willed woman in a society of men, and her name is Cleopatra VII. Cleopatra VII was born in 69 B.C. and died tragically in 30 B.C. in the capital city of Egypt, Alexandria. Cleopatra has been put down in history because she publicized her independence in a male dominated society, resulting in higher status for women. She dedicated herself to Egypt, shaping her personal life to benefit her country. Above all, she was a model for her people, charismatic and intelligent. thumb|300px|right|Cleopatra VII (A History) How it all Began When Cleopatra VII reached the age of 18, the kingdom of Egypt was bestowed upon her and her younger brother, Ptolemy XIII, who was only 12 years old. Cleopatra had two older sisters, Cleopatra VI and Derenice IV. She also had two younger siblings, a sister named Arsinoe IV, and a brother Ptolemy XIV (touregypt). Cleopatra essentially ruled the kingdom, and to please her people married Ptolemy XIII. He didn’t play much of a role, but just a stand-in in Cleopatra's political appearance. As is said that she was a promiscuous women, she had two love affairs with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. Cleopatra used her personal life to enhance her political life. These very powerful Roman leaders were easily able to help her with ruling her kingdom. To amplify her status as queen, Cleopatra claimed she was the daughter of the sun god, Re. She later took on the name Isis (life & Death). The story of Cleopatra VII is a fascinating one, and her end is later depicted in one of Shakespeare's most famous plays, Romeo & Juliet. It is true, Cleopatra sent out a message telling Antony she died, causing him to commit suicide. Once she heard of this, Cleopatra took a snake bite to the heart. Hence, the tragic end of Cleopatra VII and the Egyptian Empire. Cleopatra began to rule Egypt with her brother Ptolemy XIII, due to death of her father, Ptolemy Auletes in 51 B.C. According to the law, Cleopatra VII had to marry during her reign. Henceforth, she married her younger brother Ptolemy XII (touregypt.com). Even though legally Ptolemy XIII ruled Egypt with Cleopatra; he was just shoved to the back. Fairly soon, Cleopatra dropped his name from any official documents, and had portraits and coins made, excluding Ptolemy XIII (touregypt). Fed up, Ptolemy XIII decided to fight back and take Egypt from Cleopatra. Trying to get rid of his sister-wife he went to some court officials for help. Soon enough, Cleopatra XII was fleeing Alexandria for protection. It is apparent that Cleopatra was a dominating force in the male run world. This encouraged women everywhere to take a stand. Slowly women began to gain a role in society. For example, marriages turned into partnerships, where both parties had a fair say. The Fight for Egypt Cleopatra VII and Julius Caesar Cleopatra VII shaped her personal life to suit that of her political life, all for her beloved country. At this point, she needed to win back her country so, she went to seek help from the famous Julius Caesar. To her luck, Caesar followed through and she was able to regain her Empire. The story is told, saying Cleopatra wrapped herself in a carpet and was smuggled into Caesar’s palace. To Caesar’s surprise, he found Cleopatra quite alluring. Together they took a leap onto lover’s lane, leaving poor Ptolemy behind. He began to catch on to their ultimate plan, and railed up the Alexandrians against Cleopatra. But sadly he did not have the support he was looking for. No one who took on Julius Caesar was there to tell the tale. As is what happened to poor Ptolemy XIII who “drowned” in the Nile River fleeing Alexandria. From here, Cleopatra XII and Julius Caesar continued their love affair, producing a child, Caesarion. By now, Cleopatra was the single ruler of the Egyptian Empire, using Caesar to boost her up. Having his son didn’t only consist of their love life; Cleopatra had big plans for Caesarion. She planned for him to eventually rule both the Roman and Egyptian Empire’s. In the meantime, Cleopatra moved to Rome with little Caesarion, and lived in one of Caesar’s villas. Quickly, the rumours began to spread about Caesar and Cleopatra’s plans. This resulted in the brutal assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 B.C. Cleopatra VII and Mark Antony The death of her husband caused Cleopatra VII to return home to Egypt. Even though this was a terrible occurrence, she still had Egypt’s best interest in mind. So she jumped at the opportunity that Mark Antony gave her. Antony arranged for a meeting with Cleopatra, and being as smart as she was she took full advantage of it. Again Cleopatra charmed her way into Mark Antony’s heart, as she once did Caesar. Antony was a member of the Triumvirate, having somewhat inherited Caesar’s ruling power, had a lot of influence on Rome; Cleopatra was very aware of this. Cleopatra was soon wed to Mark Antony, and had three children with him; Alexander Helios, Cleopatra Selene, and Ptolemy Philadelpos. This family of five were known to be the rulers of both the Egyptian and Roman Empires. Once again, Cleopatra was able to bring her and her legacy to the top of the Middle East. Having married Antony, Cleopatra VII achieved greatness for her country. The happiness had to end at one point; the result was the battle of Actium. Cleopatra found an escape, and fled to Egypt to protect herself, and the empire. She then tried to get Octavian on her side, who had a great military force. But to her disappointment, the charm didn’t work on him. She then sent out a message to Antony confessing about her suicide. At the news of this Mark Antony himself committed suicide himself. Cleopatra was overcome with grief and at the disappointment of not having Octavian on her side she committed suicide by taking a snake bit to the heart. To conclude, Cleopatra found no other way to win or saver her Empire. Due to the death of Cleopatra, Egypt was under Roman rule. An Honour to us All thumb|300px|right|History of Cleopatra VIICleopatra VII was a very charismatic person; she had the power to charm all her citizens. All the people of Alexandria loved Cleopatra. Soon they began to refer to her as the goddess Isis, caring mother of all mankind. She was seen as a motherly figure because of all she did to protect her country and people. It’s apparent the Cleopatra VII had her way with people as was shown in her relationships with both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. She put in a great effort to win over her people, by learning the native Egyptian tongue. This scored Cleopatra major browning points, because no other Macedonian Pharaoh spoke Egyptian. She was also very intelligent and spoke nine different languages. Many would describe Cleopatra VII as a warm soul, “To know her was to be touched with an irresistible charm. Her form, coupled with the persuasiveness of her conversation, and her delightful style of behaviour – all these produced a blend of magic. Her delightful manner of speaking was such as to win the heart. Her voice was like a lyre…” (Pages 13-14, Ernle Bradford, Cleopatra, Hodder and Stoughton Ltd, London 1971). From this quotation we can conclude that Cleopatra VII was a very persuasive and seductive person. In the end, it was exactly this that won over her people, and made her legendary. Bibliography Works Cited Bc, By 48. "Egypt: Rulers, Kings and Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt: Cleopatra VII & Ptolemy XIII." Egypt Travel, Tours, Vacations, Ancient Egypt from Tour Egypt. Web. 22 Dec. 2010. . Brooks, Polly Schoyer. Cleopatra: Goddess of Egypt, Enemy of Rome. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1995. Print. "Cleopatra VII, Ptolemy XIII, Ptolemy XIV and Ptolemy XV Caesarion ... Your Egypt." Untitled Document. Web. 22 Dec. 2010. . "Cleopatra VII the Last of the Great Macedonian Monarchs." Macedonia. Web. 22 Dec. 2010. . Flamarion, Edith. Cleopatra: the Life and Death of a Pharaoh. New York: Harry Abrams, 1997. Print. Foreman, Laura. Cleopatra's Palace: in Search of a Legend. Del Mar, CA: Discovery, 1999. Print. Gill, By N.s. "Cleopatra Study Guide - What You Need to Know About Cleopatra - Biography, Timeline, and Cleopatra Study Guide." Ancient / Classical History - Ancient Greece & Rome & Classics Research Guide. Web. 22 Dec. 2010. . "History." Pace University Webspace. Web. 22 Dec. 2010. . Tyldesley, Joyce A. Cleopatra: Last Queen of Egypt. New York, NY: Basic, 2008. Print. Category:Works Cited